On Friday, Governor Hochul issued a new executive order to establish the New York State Master Plan for Aging. The EO directs the Department of Health, in coordination with the State Office for the Aging, to convene a Master Plan for Aging Council to advise the Governor in developing New York’s Master Plan for Aging. The council will also assemble the “Stakeholder Advisory Committee” to include health care and support services providers, older adults, and labor and community-based organizations, and will include ongoing opportunities for engagement with the public.

Initially proposed in the Governor’s 2022 State of the State, the Master Plan for Aging Council is tasked with coordinating existing and new policies and programs to create a blueprint of strategies to ensure that older New Yorkers can live fulfilling lives in good health, with freedom, dignity and independence to age in place for as long as possible. The Stakeholder Advisory Committee is directed to prepare a preliminary report within six months and a final report within 18 months of holding its first meeting; the Master Plan for Aging Council is required to present its recommended Master Plan for Aging to the Governor within two years.